


Loose Ends

by Bex90



Category: Shameless (US), gallavich - Fandom
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Post Season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7767361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bex90/pseuds/Bex90
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey is released from prison and has some loose ends to tie up before leaving Chicago for good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loose Ends

**Author's Note:**

> There's been so much speculation as to whether or not Mickey (& Noel) will be returning for season 7 and it's got me thinking as to exactly how I'd like to see that happen. 
> 
> The last thing I want to see is Mickey return and everything that happened between him and Ian is ignored. It all needs to be addressed if their reunion is to be believable. 
> 
> I'm a big believer that Gallavich is endgame. But after the messy breakup and Ian's character assassination in season 6, there's a lot of work to do to get them back to the Gallavich we all fell in love with. Hopefully this is one direction that could be taken.

Mickey Milkovich pulled up outside the all too familiar house. There had been a point in the past when he actually thought of this place as home. But not anymore. This was now just a house that held too many people and too many (mostly painful) memories. So it begged the question, why the hell was Mickey sitting in his car with his son in the back seat outside this house?

~~~~~

Mickey was released four years and eight months into his sentence. There was no explanation as to why and Mickey never asked. He just changed his clothes, took the white plastic bag that held his meagre possessions and walked out of the prison with his head held high. He’d made himself a promise three years into his sentence, that once he got out he’d work his ass off to get the hell out of Chicago. First day of the rest of his life and all that shit.  
He had no idea where he was meant to go once he’d been released, so he ended up standing outside the old Milkovich house. Not that there was anything left of it, other than the blackened remains. He had no idea who had burnt it down but wasn’t really shocked. Part of him was actually relived it was gone. Another part of him was hit with the realisation that he was suddenly homeless. Fuck.  
Luckily it only took him six months working construction, with a few scams on the side, to save up the money he needed to leave the South Side. He was a Milkovich after all, so going completely straight was never an option. 

Mickey didn’t have too many loose ends to tie up. Svetlana was happy enough to let her ex-husband take Yevgeny with him. At first Mickey thought this was odd, but it soon became very clear she was enjoying her new life with Kev and Vee far too much. Mickey had crashed on their sofa for a while but soon got sick of the constant sex noises and seeing all three naked. All. The. Fucking. Time. So he moved into the apartment above the Alibi with Yevgeny who had wandered in on his mother and her lovers more times than any child should.  
The only other loose end he had to tie up was one he’d been avoiding. It was a painful loose end that was so frayed it was barely holding itself together. 

~~~~~ 

Mickey was making faces at Yevgeny when he glanced up and spotted the oh-so-familiar red hair through the back window. The second thing he noticed was that Ian wasn’t alone. He was walking with Debbie who was pushing a pram. He felt a pang in his chest as the redhead came closer.  
“I’ll be right back kid” Mickey muttered before getting out of the car and standing on the pavement, waiting for the pair to notice him. Debbie saw him first and elbowed Ian, who looked up and stopped dead. Debbie gave him a small wave and continued inside. 

“Hey” Mickey said as he looked Ian over. The redhead had lost a lot of weight. He looked pale and very tired. Ian stood in front of Mickey with his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets and his shoulders hunched over, as though he was trying to make himself smaller.  
“Hey” Ian replied, glancing over at the car and the young boy who had twisted around in his seat and was staring at them. “Is that –?”  
“Yeah, he’s almost five now” Mickey said with a small smile. Talking about Yevgeny to anyone made him swell with pride these days. What a difference several years and a prison sentence makes.  
“When did you get out?” Ian asked after a few moments silence.  
“Just over six months ago” Mickey responded. “I stayed with Kev, Vee and Svet for a bit but then moved to the place above the Alibi. Got a job on Tommy’s crew” Mickey didn’t know why he felt the need to explain this to his ex-boyfriend.  
“It agrees with you, you look good” Ian shuffled from one foot to the other as he spoke.  
“Can’t say the same about you, what’s going on with you? I thought you were doing well” Mickey couldn’t hide the concern from his voice. Ian shrugged but didn’t say anything.  
Mickey stepped forward and placed a hand on Ian’s arm. “Gallagher, talk to me. What’s going on?”  
Ian all but fell into Mickey and the older man cursed himself as he instinctively wrapped his arms around the redhead. This wasn’t how Mickey had wanted the encounter to go. He wanted to rip the band aid off and walk away. Instead he found himself being sucked back into the whirlwind that was Ian Gallagher. 

Ian buried his face into the crook of Mickey’s neck, soaking up the familiar scent and feel that was Mickey Milkovich. He knew he’d fucked up with Mickey. It had taken Ian a long time to work it out, but Mickey was the best thing he’d ever had. Nothing and no-one compared to Mickey and now Mickey was back. Ian knew he had a lot to make up for but Mickey was here and it was a start.  
“You wanna come inside?” Ian asked, pulling away slightly.  
“Ian, I didn’t come here for that” Mickey dropped his arms and Ian’s heart sank.  
“Then why are you here?” Ian asked, stepping back and wiping at his eyes.  
“I need to get a few things off my chest before I leave” Mickey explained.  
“Y-you’re leaving?” Ian whimpered. He didn’t think it was possible for his heart to break anymore.  
“I never intended to stay in Chicago for good after I got out” Mickey revealed. “I’m taking Yev to Cincinnati”  
“What did you want to get off your chest?” Ian asked, desperately wanting to end this conversation so he could run upstairs bury himself under his blankets for a week. 

Mickey took a deep breath. This was it. He’d been working himself up to this moment for six months. Hell, more like four years. But now, as he stared at Ian his mouth was dry and the words got lost in his throat.  
It had taken Mickey a long time to forgive Ian and stop being angry about everything that went down. But when you’re in prison, what do you have far too much of? Time, of course. Mickey worked through his anger and it slowly gave way to sadness and eventually a newfound determination to change his life. This was when he made himself the promise he’d move away from Chicago. Prison had changed Mickey and gave him something he’d never had in his life. Hope.  
“I wish I hated you, Ian. Back when I was angry, I did and it was easier” Mickey began, holding up his hand when Ian looked like he was going to interrupt. “But I’m sick of being angry with you. We were never easy and we’re both to blame for that. But I need you to know how much you fucking hurt me. I know you were sick but you broke me and it took me a long time to put myself back together”  
“I’m sorry Mick” Ian said as tears streamed down his face.  
Mickey shook his head. “I don’t want to hear your apologies. Stop apologising for shit you can’t control and do something about what you can. Take your meds and stop bitching about them ’cause you and I both know they’ll make you feel better in the long run”  
“Anything else?” Ian’s voice was small and hesitant.  
“Yeah” Mickey stepped forward and boldly took Ian’s face between his hands and kissed him hard. Mickey made sure it was over before it really registered with the redhead. As Ian stared at him with wide, stunned eyes Mickey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper and held it out to Ian.  
“See you around, Gallagher”  
Ian took the piece of paper and watched Mickey climb into his car, pull out into the street and drive away. Once the car was out of sight Ian unfolded the note and read it, a small smile spreading across his face. He headed inside with a renewed sense of hope. 

Call me: 513-998-3365. I love you, Gallagher  
Mick xx

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that number isn't a real one! I looked up the area code but just threw the rest together


End file.
